Anyone using a Boss DR 880 drum machine?

[hemingway]

I'm currently using an Alesis SR16 for recording, which can produce great results, but it's a massive PITA to use.

So I was thinking of an upgrade to the Boss.

Anyone have experience of the Boss, and even of both?

I'm not interested in drum software. I'm a hardware fella.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Swingbass]

I have a DR 770 that I was using in my home studio before I went full PC based where I now use Toontrack EZ Drummer. That said my band had been using an SR-16. After my research I decided to buy an SR-18 and it's a much better machine. There are many more usable beats as well as better sound quality and available processing on board. Check out the SR-18 before you decide. We use it live at gigs. Our wait time between songs has been cut in half and it's backlit for those dark bars. Good luck in your choice.

 

[swervinbob]

Got one when I first got back into playing because I didn't want to use software. Then I got EZ Drummer then upgraded to Superior Drummer. The Boss just sat there wasting until I dumped it for not much in return.

Not a bad unit, it's just that I hadn't realized how far software based drums had come. Even when I put drums on a little stand alone recorder to take to a friend's house so he can put something down, I program a scratch of the song on EZD in a few minutes and use the outputs on my interface and record it to a track on the Tascam.

 

[uriah1]

My beat buddy sounds are twice as good as my old Alesis

 

[Whatizitman]

Probably anything that came out later than the SR16s is gonna be more versatile, more sounds, etc... They haven't really changed in decades.

There's just something about those things.... It's worth whatever they cost in the used market for the "jazz" kit. Very usable across the board, IMO.

There's one for sale locally I'm thinking seriously about. As easy and practical as the PC/laptop/tablet has become for beat making (and everything else), there's something to be said about outboard MIDI capability, and ability to disconnect from my laptop or phone. Sometimes I just need a beat to rock out to in the mancave, without having to have it "integrated" with everything else electronic in my life. My mancave is a cave, not an office.

 

[schmee]

It's laughable, but after having had a couple, including the Alesis. Terrible user interface. I like my Yamaha DD-55 drum machine.... you know...with the rubber pads! Great sound, quick dial and start for the built in sounds. . I just list the number to go to on the song list. Takes about 5-10 seconds and never fails. I'm using the headphone jack out to a PA amp.
Like this
https://reverb.com/item/35557948-ya...OBL9NhXQirZ4V4_zqAcIxnbjH6_eRCR8aAq9fEALw_wcB

 

[radiocaster]

I've used the DR-220 and DR-202, a couple of Yamahas too, for songs with guitar, the problem is with these being older the memory is pretty small, so if you're going to make songs with lots of fills you'll only have space for a couple of songs.

It's easier on machines where you can see the whole row of 16 beats for the bar, not necessarily to have the TR buttons, but to have it on the screen as you move to the location you want to edit, kind of like this 670, although I've never used this one.

 

[esseff]

I'm currently using an Alesis SR16 for recording, which can produce great results, but it's a massive PITA to use.

I feel your pain! I put mine on eBay a few months ago and was glad to see it go. By the time I'd managed to programme a beat the genre had gone out of fashion...

 

[hemingway]

I have a DR 770 that I was using in my home studio before I went full PC based where I now use Toontrack EZ Drummer. That said my band had been using an SR-16. After my research I decided to buy an SR-18 and it's a much better machine. There are many more usable beats as well as better sound quality and available processing on board. Check out the SR-18 before you decide. We use it live at gigs. Our wait time between songs has been cut in half and it's backlit for those dark bars. Good luck in your choice.

My main issue is that the little pads on the SR16 are so lousy. Are the ones on the 18 any easier to work with?

I never use the presets, and I never use it to gig with, so I'm prepared to spend some time "writing" with it, but that SR16 is just too much trouble.

 

[Swingbass]

@hemingway : I never use the pads so I'm sorry I can't help you there. We only use tempo modified presets loaded into the user banks. Then when we play a song at the gig it's spin the dial to user number xx for the right beat for the song. Our strength is vocals with strong harmonies and complimentary guitars. People don't care we don't have a real drummer.

 

[deytookerjaabs]

Read yer manuals.


This is what an old DR-660 can do if you get into step mode et cetera: